FORMULATION OF A SYSTEM FOR PREPARATION OF STRATEGIC URBAN PLANS OF THE EGYPTIAN CITIES A CASE STUDY: ISMAILIA AND FAYOUM GOVERNORATES

Abstract

The State established the National Project for preparation of the general and detailed strategic plans of the Egyptian cities during the last ten years, through participatory methodology, to achieve the competitiveness of the city and formulating a vision for the future, and as a necessity imposed by the urban problems of the Egyptian society in view of the important role of the city in the achievement of the economic and social development. The current status indicates the laxity of local administrations to participate in the preparation of the strategic plans and the interest only in the discussion about the structural stipulations and the urban sprawl areas, in addition to the lack of coordination between the strategic plans output (proposed projects) and the preparation of the sector plans and their budgets by the various ministries. This would lead to the waste of effort and resources. The research aims to survey the opinion of some participants in the decision-making in different sectors including urban development and the preparation and implementation of strategic plans, so as to find out the extent of benefit from the strategic urban plans, in the preparation of development plans and the distribution of its funds. The study is based on the inductive and analytical method to review the term of reference (TOR) for the preparation of the general and detailed strategic plans of the Egyptian cities, and on a questionnaire to explore the opinion of some of the stakeholders participating in the preparation of the strategic plans through individual meetings and discussion groups, in addition to a review of the planning laws at the local level. The study concludes a proposed system as an approach for the implementation of the urban strategic plans to achieve the desired social and economic goals, and to prevent the negligence of the urban strategic plans. This system is based on five basic pillars (institutional framework and legislation, decentralization, variation of funding resources, community participation and capacity building, the availability of adequate areas of land), and require the presence of an effective compatibility among them, taking into account the local nature of each city. Keywords: Strategic plans - Egyptian cities - development plans - decentralization - Participatory planning.